Jon Kwest x Munchi – Boom Bap Back

Jon Kwest x Munchi – Boom Bap Back features Jon Kwest and Munchi (doh), being released by Selegna Records. What is Boom Bap you ask? If you remember the hip-hop stuff from the late 80’s, early-mid 90’s, that’s pretty much what boom bap is. It went out of style a bit in the hip-hop production circle after those times (when’s the last time you’ve heard a boom bap style track reach the top charts?; although Trillmatic by A$AP Mob is a close one).

As the title describes it, Jon Kwest and Munchi are bringing boom bap back, with a brand fresh take on it. They did an awesome job on this, on every single track.

First track is Dirtbag Riddim by Jon Kwest. You can’t really place a date on it. Rocks now as it would if it was played two decades ago. Next up is Munchi – Denk Je Is Fissa Ofzo?. Starts interesting, then Munchi’s whistle takes you to a whole new place. Won’t spoil you on what happens.

Jon Kwest’s Rollin is a great track. Bass heavy, complemented with a great flow to the rhythm and takes you back some years with the vocal sample. Haven’t heard that in a while! And it’s followed by Munchi’s Reality Check track. Has a different feeling to it than the other tracks in EP, as does the next one, Jon Kwest’s What’s Live. For me these tracks would fit in perfect as any of the big rapper’s instrumentals back in the day.

The last track is Munchi’s Shoutout To MP (That ’09 Grind). I can’t really explain how good this track was for me first time I heard it…it takes the Boom Bap beats to a whole new level. The fusion with Skullstep and Bubbling really surprised me. Really digging the bassline as well and the vocals.

It’s a great EP, you should check it out. If you’re an hip-hop fan you’ll surely enjoy it.

Here’s what Munchi says about it all:

Jon Kwest x Munchi – Boom Bap Back EP

Some time ago Jon Kwest sent a track on a popular email thread and I was completely mindblown. That track was ‘Dirtbag Riddim’ and since that track we made a shitload of tracks in preparation for this. So much inspiration. We went back to the roots with this one, going all Boom Bap on you guys. With that in mind and noticing the current vibes, we managed to pull this one off. It’s been a long time coming and we are fucking stoked to finally present this to you. So without further ado, let’s talk about the shit what it’s actually about. THE TRACKS *AIRHORNZZZZZ*

1. Jon Kwest – Dirtbag Riddim

I’d made a bunch of these hip hop type breaks to play with the Go Go stuff I was making and figured no one but me would have any use for it. Dave Nada dropped a 95-ish bpm breakbeat tune in this thread and I figured if other people are doing too maybe people would fuck with it. Kind of surprised it went over as well as it did. It ended up getting support and plays from some pretty serious folks.

2. Munchi – Denk Je Is Fissa Ofzo?

Right after I heard Jon Kwest’s ‘Dirtbag Riddim’ I was so inspired that I went on a producing spree. Including the drum break, Dutch House synth, Charlie Murphy and a cat, this was the first track I made and it’s actually referencing to this meme here in Holland lol (You think it’s a party or something?). Also the fam at Selegna had this inside joke after a friend of Hoodie’s made this vid of a fish saying “Zet fissa dan voor deze snoekje”(Throw a party for this pike) so I kinda had to put that in there LOL. The last part is of a old vid that we got this dude rapping and saying: “Yeah. I been through a lot, through a lot yeah.” and my dude MP was saying: “Just keep it real g, keep it real.” LOL. I guess it’s just a compilation of ppl that really thought it was a fissa ofzo. *shrug*

3. Jon Kwest – Rollin

If I fuck with breakbeats for long enough I eventually make something that sounds like Bmore Club and/or DnB.

4. Munchi – Reality Check

This is about the shit that happened in the past 3 years. After everything that happened and I was “better”, I wasn’t – it actually got worse. It creeped up in a way I never would’ve imagined. After taking breaks that never got to breaks at all due to constant stress and unnecessary hardships – the mentality was lost. When I managed to finally “wake up” again after taking it easy the entire year of 2013, there was the realization that saw that everything was wrong. Now that shit is finally clearing up after all these up’s and down’s, everything came together when making this. From the slight Bmore references till the building of the reeses and synths.

5. Jon Kwest – What’s Life

A loop, a break, a grunt and a whole lot of compression. Little smoke break.

6. Munchi – Shoutout To MP (That ’09 Grind)

After hearing ‘What’s Life’ I wanted to do something straight up Hiphop too. That was the plan, but that never happened tho lol.

Mixing influences of Drum & Bass with Bubbling, Skullstep details and Boom Bap, while keeping the “straight up Hiphop” vibe in the middle. At the time I was geeking out on basslines too, which was so much fun to make! Mr. Diddy on the intro, introducing the shoutout to MP, while MP takes over the vocals and Biggie explains what’s up. Oh and there is the ‘Top Billin’ reference too, which I was completely obsessed with for a long long time. And now it finally got a place. Big up to Audio Two!